Independent technical expertise for complex questions
Emerging technologies and Internet standards can have consequences well beyond the communities developing them. Decisions about architecture, interoperability, security, privacy, and governance can shape what organizations and communities are able to build, use, and trust.
Through Spherical Cow Consulting, I undertake selected research and technical analysis engagements for organizations seeking an independent perspective on these developments.
My work is particularly relevant to nonprofit organizations, foundations, civil-society initiatives, and other institutions whose missions are affected by technology decisions but whose expertise or resources may lie elsewhere.
Engagements can include:
- Research into emerging Internet technologies, standards, and their broader implications.
- Technical assessments of architectural approaches, interoperability challenges, and governance assumptions.
- Analysis of how developments across standards organizations affect public-interest objectives.
- Expert briefings and written reports designed to inform institutional understanding and decision-making.
I bring experience across Internet architecture, digital identity, standards development, and technical governance, along with an understanding of how technical decisions emerge from multistakeholder processes.
Projects are individually scoped and funded, with agreed objectives, deliverables, and timelines.
For organizations seeking ongoing research and collective analysis specifically focused on digital identity, I also co-founded The Identity Salon.
If your organization has a defined research question or needs independent technical expertise on a funded project, I’d welcome a conversation.